Chapter 249

The Siberian snowfield was completely covered in white snow.

Upon that vast snowfield floated the powerful Object known as the Snowfield Moon.

Since the Snowfield Moon had settled into position, causing phenomena on a world-encompassing scale, other Objects around Siberia had vanished without a trace.

Moreover, humans wandering this area had also disappeared.

This was because, after all the humans and drones sent to investigate the strange occurrences in this region were swallowed up by the snowfield, no one dared approach this place anymore.

But then, in such a desolate snowfield, Golden Reapers began to gather one by one.

It was information passed on by a Golden Reaper who had carefully observed the unusual behavior of Sprout Reapers.

Sure enough, following the light emitted by Sprout Reapers led them to a Gray Reaper who had been playing pranks on the Golden Reaper and run away.

The Gray Reaper stood there blankly, its head tilted upward as if gazing at the moon in the sky.

“Mommy!”

“There’s Mommy!”

Though originally rushing from Korea all the way to distant Siberia in anger to seek revenge, the Golden Reaper couldn’t hide its delighted expression upon seeing its long-lost mother.

Happy to see their mother, the Golden Reaper cautiously approached while glancing at the others, inching closer to where Mommy stood.

And then, they alternated between secretly hugging Mommy’s ankles and letting go.

After all the Golden Reapers had sufficiently replenished their “mommy quotient” in this manner, one of them picked up a large snowball and exuded determination.

“Snowman!”

It was a cute yet cruel idea—to turn the runaway mommy into a snowman.

Soon, the other Golden Reapers thought it sounded fun and started rolling snowballs. Before long, the Gray Reaper’s body was covered in snow.

After some time, the Gray Reaper had become a massive snowman created by the Golden Reapers.

“Mommy has clothes on!”

“Mommy snowman!”

The Golden Reapers were extremely pleased, claiming that these were clothes Mommy wouldn’t wear otherwise.

Surrounding the snowman version of Gray Reaper, the Golden Reapers laughed heartily as they endlessly admired their mother’s form.

***

The sky died with the death of the Purple Moon.

The ominous sky, devoid of sun or stars, turned dark, with the broken remnants of the purple moon floating lifelessly.

Its surface was cracked and fragmented, as if about to shatter, with Evolution Liquid continuously seeping out through the fissures.

That liquid cascaded like a waterfall toward the ground, pouring into a city-sized sinkhole below.

Looking down, you could see the Evolution Liquid surging and rising at the bottomless depths of the sinkhole.

The hole was so deep that it seemed Hungry Ghost Beams had carved an impossibly deep pit instead of creating a purple city.

Just how deep? It would take at least a month for the Evolution Liquid to fill it completely.

Even though the Evolution Liquid poured down with more intensity than any waterfall I’d ever seen on Earth, that was still the case.

“Mommy!”

“Mommy!”

In my arms, clinging tightly, were Mini Sprout Reapers slightly smaller than the original Sprout Reapers.

The original Sprout Reaper, having finished its tasks, buried itself underground and quietly fell asleep.

The Mini Sprout Reapers in my arms clutched my fingers and hair as if seeing me for the first time, staring intently at my face.

While looking down at the cheerful Sprout Reapers, I was deep in thought.

“I want to throw these Sprout Reapers into the sinkhole now.”

Considering the previous reaction of the Golden Reaper, it would be quite an amusing prank!

But unfortunately, aside from the Golden Reaper, it wasn’t certain if the Evolution Liquid was waterproof.

If only it were just a foul-smelling liquid; why does it have to dissolve Mini Reapers, huh…?

“Mommy, are you hurt?”

Seeing my furrowed brow, one of the Sprout Reapers sent over a concerned will.

Indeed, Mini Sprout Reapers, being my children, were as kind as I am.

…

…

…

Being kind, perhaps throwing them once would be forgivable?

While contemplating what a good mother of kind children might do, I noticed something odd among the Sprout Reapers.

A Mini Reaper with an overall purplish hue, adorned with a purple crab shell resembling ram horns on its head.

The Purple Reaper had cloaked itself in shadows carrying mental pollution, hiding among the Sprout Reapers.

But sensing that I’d noticed, it dropped its disguise, leapt gracefully into the air, and landed dramatically on the ground in a cool pose.

“Younger sibling!”

“New younger sibling!”

The Sprout Reapers quickly caught on and started making a fuss.

***

I silently watched the Purple Reapers rescuing people caught in the ‘Nameless’ incident.

The actions of the Purple Reapers were strangely fascinating—both bizarre and flashy.

When the Purple Reaper raised its palm upward, a giant rock engulfed in shadow sank into the darkness before reappearing elsewhere.

When the Purple Reaper swung its hands flamboyantly like a martial arts movie star, space was sliced apart, cutting obstacles into pieces.

With a confident smile, the Purple Reaper conjured shadow-made marshmallows for crying children who were hungry.

I applauded softly, feeling like I was watching a movie.

The Purple Reapers appeared to possess the ability to manipulate shadows.

More precisely, they spread their own shadows, allowing them to do anything within those shadows.

It reminded me of my Mini Reaper Garden.

Comparing Mini Reaper abilities, the Purple Moon was indeed worthy of its title as the ‘Strongest.’

Dominating space? Incredible.

And the Purple Reapers themselves were peculiar too.

Their whole bodies except their heads were wrapped in shadows, exuding an aura as if they always had something up their sleeves.

Even during breaks, pairs of Purple Reapers would engage in mock battles reminiscent of kung fu movies.

However, I knew a hidden secret about these battles.

These weren’t actually breaks—they were necessary for using their powers.

I discovered this accidentally while wandering near the sinkhole.

“Help me!”

Suddenly, a faint will echoed.

Approaching curiously to check, I found a Purple Reaper trapped under a huge rock.

“Why not just use space domination to remove the rock?”

As I thought this, other Purple Reapers detecting the will rushed over and began hitting the trapped Purple Reaper’s chubby cheeks repeatedly—not playfully but with genuine force.

Then, the crab shell on the trapped Purple Reaper began glowing brighter until it levitated the massive rock with magnetic power and started moving it again.

I noticed this happening a few more times; they’d simply say “Help me!” and start punching each other.

Through repeated observation, I finally understood the reason.

The Purple Reaper’s space domination wasn’t fueled by firewood.

Additionally, the Purple Reaper had another ability: energy conversion.

They absorbed energy and converted it into their own.

Given how long it took for their punches to charge them, the efficiency didn’t seem great.

Moreover, the volatile nature of the absorbed energy meant they couldn’t store it, needing to constantly recharge by bickering with each other.

No people around? Mini Reaper-style bickering.

Crowded with people? Mock battles while secretly bickering.

The Purple Reaper was shockingly a scatterbrained Mini Reaper.

***

Near the city, whose traces had vanished entirely, lay a temporary camp filled with exhausted and injured people.

At the center of the camp burned a round and enormous lump of marshmallow.

Around it stood marshmallow houses constructed by stacking marshmallows like blocks and securing them with branches.

Marshmallows were everywhere in this area.

The blue girl sat beside the warm fire, enjoying the warmth while stroking the purple Magical Book in her arms.

“Thanks to these kids.”

Although it felt odd that everything was marshmallow-related, it seemed the purple Magical Book could only create marshmallows.

Every element of this camp was the work of these tiny children.

The purple Magical Book used its powerful strength to cut and move rocks, rescuing people.

Meanwhile, the sprout Magical Books wandered around the people, distributing neatly cut marshmallows.

The appearance of the ‘Book that Killed God,’ which tore humans apart.

The lost home—the city.

An overwhelming number of casualties.

Despite the infamous human-harming Magical Books handing out snacks, the atmosphere of the camp wasn’t bad.

Perhaps it was the dreamlike combination of the purple Magical Book’s mental pollution and its cute appearance.

Small laughter could be heard here and there in the camp.

Once they disappear, these people will awaken to the cold reality.

Gazing at the black-and-white clothed girl who had fallen asleep near the fire, I thought she might vanish by morning.

Using a pillow-sized marshmallow shaped like a white Hungry Ghost, I lay down on the floor.

Stroking the rigid belly of the unconscious Hungry Ghost, I thought,

“I want a squishy Hungry Ghost.”

Determined to create one someday through research, the blue girl drifted off into a deep sleep.

***

When the blue girl woke up to the morning sunlight, she saw the chillingly cold remains of the campsite.

The campsite, which had felt protected by the moon’s guardian presence against the cold, was now slowly invaded by icy chills.

“They’re gone.”

The marshmallow campfire.

The delicious marshmallows.

The marshmallow mats on the floor.

The small hands and feet moving them—the Magical Books.

And the black-and-white clothed girl who brought all the miracles had vanished.

The sound of the girl’s voice from my dreams still lingered in my ears.

“The dream is over.”

“It’s time to go.”

Maybe, as the girl said, everything that happened in the city felt like a dream.

“Master! Wake up!”

It’s time to live in reality now.

Because I’m an alchemist who protects people, I have much to do.

***

The broken moon.

And the black waterfall descending from the sky.

There, where everyone had fled from the cold, a massive darkened arm began to rise slowly.

According to the Gray Reaper, “Nameless.”

According to the blue girl, “The Book that Killed God.”

The “Nameless,” which had completely dissolved in the Evolution Liquid, began to stagger back onto the land.

But its form looked different from before it submerged in the Evolution Liquid.

To erase the name of the god.

To eliminate faith.

The ceaselessly moving “Book that Killed God” gazed beyond space.

Far, far away, where the Gray Reaper might be.

It stared toward the direction of Earth.